The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

The Sheldon Rendezvous June 21, 2009

After breakast Pat Bruce starts the day off with a safety meeting with rendezvous volunteers and members of Fish and Wildlife Service.

Brian Beffort mans the coffee presses to keep the volunteers well supplied

The US Fish and Wildlife Service used tractors to roll up old barbed-wire fence for removal.

Volunteer Ian Robinson unclipping barbwire from fence posts during the Sheldon Rendezvous

Volunteers Bob Milne and Jim Jeffress are removing metal fence posts after other volunteers stripped off the barbwire from unneeded fences. Removing this fence will make it easier for pronghorn to migrate freely within the Sheldon Refuge.

US Fish and Wildlife Service manager Paul Steblein joining volunteers to remove old fence that threatens wildlife on the Sheldon Refuge

Cattle grazing was retired from the Sheldon Refuge in 1994, yet hundreds of miles of barbed-wire fence remain, endangering wildlife and people.Volunteer Caleb Burke hard at work. By Graham Stafford.

Volunteer Liz Bell breaking apart a fence structure to improve wildlife habitat on the Sheldon Refuge

Wild Kids for the Sheldon

Kids are our future land managers. Friends of Nevada Wilderness involves children in the work required to manage our public lands. Here, they are removing invasive halogeten from Duferrena Ponds campground. The kids worked harder knowing cookies were waiting after they were done. By Brian Beffort

Pronghorn

...FAST
The fastest land mammal in North America, the pronghorn races across Sheldon Refuge on a yellow carpet of evening primrose

Happy Birthday to Jim Yoakum.

We were honored by having renowned pronghorn biologist Jim Yoakum celebrate his 83rd birthday with the group. Jim first came to the Sheldon in 1954 and has been a strong voice for protecting pronghorns ever since.
'When Jim was asked by Dave Rice for an article for the RGJ in 2005, what he likes to do to relax, his answer came quickly.“I like to study pronghorn,” he said.'

Link to the 2005 interview with Jim Yoakum https://secure.rgj.com/news/printstory.php?id=107179

Bittner Ranch

Late Spring at the Bittner Ranch. I love this wonderful image captured by Brian Beffort, it shows the hidden beauty of Nevada just waiting to be discover and enjoyed ...by you.

On the Ground

Getting out on the ground with land managers to discuss the challenges facing our public lands and how best to address them is some of the behind the scenes work of our very successful stewardship program.

BTW-The roads can be a little challenging themselves.

Black Rock Rendezvous 2009

Friends of Nevada Wilderness volunteers, Nevada Outdoor School and the BLM partnered in the rehabilitation and restoration of the Coyote Springs Dune Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area. This area had suffered damage from repeated illegal OHV use. These dunes are sensitive habitat for kit fox, as well as other small animal species. They are also a crucial source of water in the area. To prevent further damage a total of 500 feet of buck and rail fence was constructed and dune surfaces were re-inflated, restoring original contours. Volunteers also removed trash from the surrounding areas. Twenty-five volunteers participated in the restoration event.

Also twelve volunteers hiked down into Fly Canyon to finish the removal of an unnecessary barbed wire fence. On this project volunteers removed one quarter mile of barbed wire.

There was cowboy poetry, three bands from Reno, site tours, chuck wagon dinners and the Control Burn fire dancers as well as a Dutch Oven cook-off, Stephanie LeFevre and Holly Palmer of Nevada Outdoor School split the victory, Stephanie with Short Ribs and Holly with a crunchy apple crisp.

Kids and Camping in the News

Stewardship Director Pat Bruce and Associate Director Brian Beffort were interviewed by the Reno Gazette-Journal and gave advice on camping with children. Read the ten tips here: "10 tips for camping with kids"

Our Birthday in the News

Reno News and Review writes about the celebration surrounding the 25th anniversary of the founding of Friends of Nevada Wilderness! Check out the article: "Friends of Nevada Wilderness turns 25"